Plastic beverage bottle case



Nov. 5, 1968 s. l.. BELCHER PLASTIC BEVERAGE BOTTLE CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 4, 1966 /n'denoz f6.2 SAMUEL LBELCHER Nov. 5, 196,8 s. BELcHl-:R

PLASTIC BEVERAGE BOTTLE CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4. 1966 lnenfoz, I

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` SAMUEL L. BeLcHE/z 69 p iff/M v FHTW/.5.

United States Patent O 3,409,202 PLASTIC BEVERAGE BOTTLE CASE Samuel L. Belcher, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 525,187 13 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The beverage bottle case of the present invention consists of three plastic pieces, two of which are molded end panels for the case and one of which is a piece of sheet plastic material which is folded to provide a bottom section, two side sections adjoining the bottom section, and two top sections, each of which makes up one half of the top panel of the case. The bottom section and the two side sections have flaps which overlap the two molded end panels and are secured thereto to complete the case. The case also includes a latching device including a pair of projections located on opposite sides of a recess at the top center portion of each end panel, and openings in the top panels positioned to register with and receive the projections when the top panels are closed. The case also has raised portions in the bottom section on which bottles are seated and which acts as cushions when bottles are loaded into the case. The bottom also has drainage openings, and there are handle openings in the end panel providing handles by which the case may be lifted.

This invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly to a beverage bottle case made entirely of plastic material, and a method of making such cases.

At the present time, beer bottles are usually packed in cardboard cases of the type having fold-over top panels for closing the top of the case. Such cardboard cases, although widely used, have several drawbacks. The cardboard material is not especially strong, and if such cases are handled roughly as sometimes happens, it is quite likely that some cases will be damaged. If the cardboard material gets wet it becomes quite Weak and then is even more susceptible to damage. The cardboard soaks up moisture such that if a beverage or other liquid is spilled on a cardboard case, the moisture which soaks into the cardboard may attract roaches or other pests.

It has been proposed to make beverage bottle cases from plastic since strong, water repellent plastic materials are available. However, such cases have usually been molded in a manner which involves relatively high die costs and other costs such that the molded case is relatively expensive. So far as is known, no plastic case with fold-over top panels has been available.

The present invention provides a beverage bottle case wherein a single sheet of plastic is folded and assembled with two molded end wall sections to complete the case. The case consists, then, of only three plastic pieces, two of which are molded pieces and one of which is a plastic sheet folded to the proper conguration. The plastic sheet consists of a bottom section, two side sections adjoining the bottom section, and two top sections, each of which makes up one half ofthe top panel of the case. The side sections are folded at right angles to the bottom section and the top sections are similarly folded at right angles to the side sections to make them parallel to the bottom section. Only the bottom section and the two side' sections are secured to the separate end panels, the top sections remaining free to be opened and closed. The bottom and side sections are provided with flaps which bend around respective corners of the case to overlap the borders of the end sections, and these flaps are secured to the end sections by any suitable fastening or sealing technique.

The case preferably has a latching device for holding the top panels shut. The device comprises a pair of projections located centrally of the upper edge of each end panel, and openings in the top panels positioned to register with and receive the projections when the top panels are closed. The material about these openings is sufficiently flexible to yield and slip olf the projections when the top panels are opened.

' The case may be provided with raised portions in the bottom panel which act as cushions to absorb the shock of bottles being dropped into the case -as they are when the case is loaded for example with bottled beer. The bottom panel also has drainage openings, and there are handle openings in the end walls providing handles with which the case may be lifted.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage bottle case by joining a folded plastic sheet to two molded plastic panels so as to form a cornpletely enclosed case with a top which opens.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of making a plastic beverage bottle case by folding a sheet of plastic and joining portions thereof to separate molded end panels which are thicker and more rigid than the sheet material such that the case is thereby strengthened.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic beverage bottle case having top panels which open and close with a latch for releasably holding the top panels in their closed position.

A further object of the invention is to incorporate a latch into a plastic beverage bottle case wtihout adding parts to the case.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

0n the drawings FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a plastic sheet which forms the bottom, side and top panels of a case, together with two further plastic panels which form the end panels of the case;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of a plastic case showing the plastic sheet in a partially folded condition;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of acompleted case;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a latch which is incorporated into the plastic case to hold the top panels closed; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of FIGURE 1 showing a raised seat and a drainage opening provided in the bottom panel of the case.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

As shown on the drawings The plastic case of the invention is made from three pieces 10, 12 and 14 of plastic material. The largest piece is an elongated plastic sheet which may be stamped out to the rectangular configuration shown in FIGURE 1 from a larger plastic sheet having a thickness of the order of 1/16 of an inch. Suitable plastic materials for the case are polyethylene and polypropylene. Five of the panels of the case are integral portions of the elongated plastic sheet 10, the two end panels 12 and 14 of the case being separate pieces of injection molded plastic material.

The molded panels are thicker and more rigid than the sheet material and so appreciably strengthen the case. The sheet 10 includes a bottom section or panel 16, two side panels 18 and 20 which adjoin the bottom panel respectively along dashed lines 22 and 24, and two top panels j 26 and 28 which respectively adjoin side panels 18 and 20 along the dashed lines 30 and 32.

In the drawings, all folds and indentations are shown with dashed lines whereas all edges or cut portions are shown with solid lines. It may be noted that all of the sections or panels of sheet 10 are rectangular in configuration, but the term rectangular as used in this application is intended to include a square configuration since panels having a square configuration would be equivalent to rectangular panels yfor purposes of the plastic case.

At the time the sheet 10 is stamped out from a larger plastic sheet, several details of the sheet 10 are formed. For example, raised seats 34 are formed in the bottom panel 16 by indenting the panel from the bottom side at each location for a seat. There are 24 such seats in the bottom panel 16 arranged in rows of four and columns ofsix for a typical beer bottle case as shown. Obviously, other patterns of seats could be used. When bottles are loaded into the case, they are sometimes dropped onto the bottom of the case. If they were to strike hard material there could be some breakage. The raised seats 34 yield enough to absorb the shock of dropping a Ibottle onto the seat and thus act as cushions for the bottles. Drain holes 36 are also formed in the bottom panel 16 inthe die stamping step.

The side panels 18 and 20 are indented slightly along lines 38 so that the whole central portions of panels 18 and are recessed slightly inwardly of the case relative to the unrecessed border portions about the dashed lines 38. The recessed portions may be decorated and the border portions will protect the decoration from scufiing. For the same reasons ribs 40 are formed on the exterior side of end panels 12 and 14, these ribs being visible in FIGURE 2. Thus the end panels may also be decorated and the ribs will protect the decorated area from scufiing.

Each of the panels of sheet 10 is provided with aps at the opposite ends of the respective panel. BottomI panel 16 has aps 42 and 44 which are folded up to overlap the bottom edge of end panels 12 and 14. Side panel 18 has aps 46 and 48 and side panel 20 has flaps 50 and 52. These flaps are bent inwardly of the case about the corners thereof to overlap corner edges of the end panels 12 and 14. Ultimately, all of the flaps just referred to are secured to the end panels 12 and 14 as by staples or some other fastening or sealing technique.

The top panels 26 and 28 of the case have side flaps 54, 56, 58 and 60 which ultimately are bent at right angles to the top panels to overlap the top edge portion of the end panels 12 and 14. These latter flaps, however, are not secured to the end panels since the top panels are to remain free to swing open and closed. A further folded over edge portion is provided by flaps 62 and 64 which are folded over double and stapled to provide lips for the respective top panels which extend along the middle of the top of the case. Small corner flaps 66 are provided on the top panels, and these aps are bent around the corners of the top panels and are held between the folded over flaps 62 and 64 (see FIGURE 4) to strength the corners of the top panels. It may be noted that the aps 62 and 64 of the top panels are folded once along lines 67 and are folded again along lines 68 to provide flaps of double thickness at the middle of the top of the case.

In FIGURE l, only one of the end panels 12 is shown completely, but it will be understood that the other end panel 14 is identical to panel 12. There is an elongated opening 70 in each end panel through which the fingers of a person may be inserted to grip the upper portion of the end panel when lifting the case. Stilening ribs 72, 73 and 74 are also formed on the end panels so as to reinforce and strengthen them.

Along what ultimately becomes the top edge of the end sections there are projections 76 and 78 which form a latch for holding the top panels closed. The manner in which this latch operates is evident in FIGURE 4. The corner aps 66 of the top panels 26 and 28 have small openings 80 which register with the projections 76 and 78 when the top panels are closed. The projections 76 and 78 then extend into these openings and hold the top panels down so that they cannot slip open unless force is applied to lift them up. There are holes 82 in the top panels through which a person may insert a finger to pry or pull open the top panels. The material of the flaps 66 yields enough to allow the projections 76 and 78 to slip out of the openings, thus releasing the top flaps so that they may be opened easily.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate the manner in which the sheet 10 is folded and joined to the end pieces 12 `and 14 to form a complete case. The top panels 26 and 28 may first be formed. Considering top panel 28, flaps 58 and `60 are folded at right angles to the panel 28 and flap 64 is folded once along line 68. Corner flaps 66 are then folded around the corners of panel 28 and secured to the end flap 64. The end flap is then folded again along line 67 and the resulting double folded flap is secured together as with staples. A single staple holds flaps 66 and double flap 64 as shown in FIGURE 4. In this view the corner flap 66 is shown between the two folded portions of flap 64. The other top panel 26 is folded and joined in the same manner.

Side panel 18 is folded at right angles to the bottom panel 16 along fold line 22, and the other side panel 20 is also folded at right angles to the bottom panel along line 24. All of the aps of the panels just referred to are folded at right angles to the panels; i.e., flaps 42 and 44 are folded at right angles to panel 16, aps 46 and 48 are folded at right angles to panel 18, and flaps 50 and 52 are folded at right angles to panel 20. The end panels 12 and 14 are placed inside the partial enclosure formed by panels 16, 18 and 20 adjacent the flaps thereof, and the flaps are secured to the borders on the exterior side of end panels 12 and 14 as with staples 88. These simple folding and joining steps, then, form a com'- plete case as shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring to FIGURE l, there are cut-out apertures at the four corners of the bottom panel 16 and four other apertures 92 at what become the upper corners of side panels 18 and 20. In FIGURE 3, the apertures 90 are at the four bottom corners of the case and apertures 92 are at the four top corners of the case. The four corners 94 of each of the end panels 12 and 14 extend into corresponding ones of the apertures 90 and 92 so that the corners of the case (FIGURE 3) are actually the corners 94 of the end panels. As previously mentioned, the end panels are thicker and substantially more rigid than the sheet plastic material, so by having their corners 94 project into the apertures 90 and 92 the corners of the case are strengthened. The molded end panels 12 and 14 may be about one-eighth (Ma) of an inch thick whereas the sheet plastic is about one-sixteenth (1/6) of an inch thick in a particular embodiment. Also, the end panels are strengthened considerably by the reinforcing ribs 40, 72, 73 and 74, and are better able to withstand the shocks and stresses of rough handling to which the cases, and particularly their corners, may be subjected.

FIGURE 4 shows the latching device which is incorporated into the end sections 12 and 14 and the top panels 26 and 28. A recess 75 is formed in each of the end sections 12 and 14 just above the handle opening 70. In the molding of the end panels, projections 76 and 78 are formed along the side walls of the -recess 75 such that the projections extend toward each other leaving `a space in between the tips of the projections. As previously mentioned, openings 80 are formed in the corner flaps 66 of the top panels 26 and 28. In the complete case, the openings 80 are situated such that when the top panels are closed, the openings 80 register with the projections 76 and 78 of the end panels. When the panels are pushed down such that the corner flap 66 enters the space between projections 76 and 78, the openings `80 slip over and onto the ends of the projections 76 and 78 such that the projections are snugly engaged in the opening-s. The material of the corne-r flaps 66 is sufficiently flexible to allow them to slip over projections 76 and 78 without requiring excessive force. Likewise, the flaps 66 will slip off of projections 76 and 78 when the top panels are lifted to open the case.

It may be noted in FIGURE 1 that the fold lines 69 at which the corner flaps 66 are folded extend at an acute angle to the outside edge of panels 26 and 28. This causes the ap 66 as viewed in FIGURE 4 to extend at an acute angle relative to the top edge 71 although the double thickness flaps 62 and 64 extend at right angles to the top edge 71. The acute angle folding of flap 66 causes it to ente-r the space under projections 76 and 78 in a reentrant manner and assures that the projections 76 and 78 enter the openings 80 when the top panels are closed.

Thus, the invention provides a beverage bottle case made of relatively thin and yet strong plastic material, `the case being light in weight and easy to handle. The molded, thicker end panels of the case materially strengthen it and are not difficult to mold. The case will withstand rough handling and is water-repellent and therefore is not weakened when it gets wet. The case has latching top panels which stay closed While the case iS being handled, but which can be opened easily by lifting the top panels. The method of making the case is straightforward involving only steps of molding, die stamping, folding, assembling and joining together the three pieces of plastic from which the case is made.

I claim:

1. A case for carrying bottled products comprising a piece of semi-rigid sheet plastic material having integrally formed therein a rectangular bottom section forming a bottom panel of said case, two rectangular side sections adjoining said bottom section at opposite sides thereof, and two rectangular top sections respectively adjoining said side sections and each comprising a half of a top panel of said case, said side sections extending at right angles to said bottom section and being folded where they adjoin said bottom section to form two side panels of said case and said top sections being folded where they adjoin said side sections and having a closed position wherein they extend parallel to said bottom section and close the top of said case, said top sections being movable pivotally to open positions by bending the same at respective top edges of said case to open the top of said case, and two separate -rectangular pieces of injection molded plastic material which is thicker and more rigid than said sheet plastic material, said separate plastic pieces being joined at the lborders thereof to said bottom section and said side sections to form the two end panels of said case.

2. The case of claim 1 in which said side and bottom sections have openings therein each located at a corner of said case, and said end panels have corners projecting into said openings forming the corners of said case.

3. The case of claim 2 wherein said side sections and said bottom section have flaps integral therewith overlapping border portions of said end sections and fastened thereto by fastening means.

4. The case of claim 1 wherein said end sections have latching means formed integrally therein at top edges thereof for holding said top sections in said closed position.

5. The case of claim 1 wherein each of said end sections has at the top edge thereof a recess and a pair of projections located centrally of said end section, said projections extending toward each other from opposite sides of said recess, and wherein each said top section has an opening at a portion thereof registering with one of said projections in the closed position of said top sections such that said projections engage in said openings respectively to hold said top sections closed.

6. The case of claim 5 wherein the material of said top sections at said openings is sufficiently flexible to allow exing the same to release said projections from said openings.

7. The case of claim 5 wherein each said top section has bent-over flaps extending along the sides thereof and at right angles to the body of said top section, said flaps including a flap extending about each corner of said top panel where said top panel adjoins said projections, said openings being respectively located in said corner flaps.

8. The case of claim 7 wherein said corner flaps are folded along a line at an acute angle to the adjoining top edge of said case, said corner flap thereby extending into said recess and under said projections in a reentrant manner to assure that said projections engage in said openings when said top sections are closed.

9. A case for carrying bottled products comprising a single-piece of semi-rigid sheet plastic material having integrally formed therein a rectangular bottom section forming a bottom panel of said case, two rectangular side sections adjoining said bottom section at opposite sides thereof, and two rectangular top sections respectively adjoining said side sections and each comprising a half of a top panel of said case, said side sections extending at right angles to said bottom section and being folded where they adjoin said bottom section to form two side panels of said case and said top sections being folded where they adjoin said side sections and having a closed position wherein they extend parallel to said bottom section and close the top of said case, said top sections being movable pivotally to open positions by bending the same at respective top edges of said case to open the top of said case, two rectangular pieces of injection molded plastic material separate from said single piece and serving as end panels of said case, and means securing said two end panel pieces to said bottom section and said side sections of said single plastic piece.

10. The case as claimed in claim 9 in which said bottom section of said single plastic piece has a plurality of raised portions therein forming seats having a cushioning action for bottles when placed in said case.

11. The case as claimed in claim 9 which said case includes staples fastening said bottom section and said side sections to said plastic pieces forming said end panels.

12. The case as claimed in claim 9 in which each of said end panel pieces has at the top edge thereof a recess and a pair of projections extending toward each other from opposite sides of said recess, and wherein said top sections have portions with openings therein engaged by said projections in the closed position of said top sections for holding said top sections closed.

13. In a container having a bottom wall, two side walls and two top panels all formed from a single piece of substantially planar plastic sheeting, and end walls secured to said bottom and side walls each formed from a piece of plastic material separate from said single piece, a latching device for holding said top panels in a closed position comprising a recess in each of said end walls at the top edge thereof and centrally thereof, a pair of projections extending toward each other from opposite sides of each said recess, and flap portions on said top panels having openings registering with said projections when said top panels are closed and engaged by said projections to hold said top panels closed.

DAVID M.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Kazimier 220--21 Cloyd.

Friday 220-1 Yochum 229-45 Tress et al. 229-3.5

BOCKENEK, Prima/y Examiner. 

